Distributed cell formation systems for lithium containing secondary batteries

Abstract

A formation cluster for connection to a lithium containing secondary battery in a cell formation system includes a connector, a charging module connected to the connector and configured to charge the lithium containing secondary battery, a pre-lithiation module connected to the connector and configured to diffuse lithium to electrode active material layers of the lithium containing secondary battery, a discharging module connected to the connector and configured to discharge the lithium containing secondary battery, and at least one microcontroller programmed to: charge the lithium containing secondary battery using the charging module, diffuse lithium to the electrode active material layers of the lithium containing secondary battery using the pre-lithiation module after the lithium containing secondary battery has been charged, and discharge the lithium containing secondary battery using the discharging module after lithium has been diffused to the electrode active material layers of the lithium containing secondary battery using the pre-lithiation module.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A formation cluster for connection to a single lithium containing secondary battery in a cell formation system for lithium containing secondary batteries, each lithium containing secondary battery comprising a population of bilayers, an electrode busbar, and a counter-electrode busbar, wherein each bilayer of the population of bilayers comprises an electrode structure, a separator structure, and a counter-electrode structure, the electrode structure of each member of the bilayer population comprises an electrode current collector and an electrode active material layer, and the counter-electrode structure of each member of the bilayer population comprises a counter-electrode current collector and a counter-electrode active material layer, the formation cluster comprising:
 a connector configured for connecting to the lithium containing secondary battery;   a charging module connected to the connector and configured to charge the lithium containing secondary battery connected to the connector;   a pre-lithiation module connected to the connector and configured to diffuse lithium to the electrode active material layers of the lithium containing secondary battery connected to the connector;   a discharging module connected to the connector and configured to discharge the lithium containing secondary battery connected to the connector; and   at least one microcontroller programmed to:
 charge the lithium containing secondary battery connected to the connector using the charging module; 
 diffuse lithium to the electrode active material layers of the lithium containing secondary battery using the pre-lithiation module after the lithium containing secondary battery has been charged; and 
 discharge the lithium containing secondary battery using the discharging module after lithium has been diffused to the electrode active material layers of the lithium containing secondary battery using the pre-lithiation module. 
   
     
     
         2 . The formation cluster of  claim 1 , further comprising a communication interface for communicatively coupling the formation cluster to a central controller. 
     
     
         3 . The formation cluster of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one microcontroller is programmed to charge, diffuse, and discharge the lithium containing secondary battery in response to instructions received from the central controller. 
     
     
         4 . The formation cluster of  claim 2 , wherein the communication interface is a wired communication interface for connection to a wired communication network. 
     
     
         5 . The formation cluster of  claim 2 , wherein the communication interface is a wireless communication interface for connection to a wireless communication network. 
     
     
         6 . The formation cluster of  claim 1 , further comprising a power connection configured for connection to a power source, wherein the power connection is coupled to the charging module, the pre-lithiation module, and the discharging module. 
     
     
         7 . The formation cluster of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one microcontroller comprises:
 a charging module controller programmed to control the charging module;   a pre-lithiation module controller programmed to control the pre-lithiation module; and   a discharging module controller programmed to control the discharging module.   
     
     
         8 . The formation cluster of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one sensor to monitor a condition of the formation cluster or the lithium containing secondary battery connected to the connector, wherein the at least one microcontroller is programmed receive a signal output by the at least one sensor. 
     
     
         9 . The formation cluster of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises a temperature sensor, a voltage sensor, or a current sensor. 
     
     
         10 . The formation cluster of  claim 1 , wherein the lithium containing secondary battery connected to the connector includes an auxiliary electrode containing lithium, and the pre-lithiation module is configured to selectively conduct current through the auxiliary electrode to diffuse lithium to the electrode active material layers of the lithium containing secondary battery. 
     
     
         11 . A distributed cell formation system for lithium containing secondary batteries, each lithium containing secondary battery comprising a population of bilayers, an electrode busbar, and a counter-electrode busbar, wherein each bilayer of the population of bilayers comprises an electrode structure, a separator structure, and a counter-electrode structure, the electrode structure of each member of the bilayer population comprises an electrode current collector and an electrode active material layer, and the counter-electrode structure of each member of the bilayer population comprises a counter-electrode current collector and a counter-electrode active material layer, the distributed cell formation system comprising:
 a central controller comprising a processor, a memory, and a communication interface; and   a population of formation clusters positioned apart from the central controller, each formation cluster configured to perform multiple steps of a cell formation process for a single lithium containing secondary battery, and each formation cluster including:
 a connector configured for connecting to the lithium containing secondary battery; 
 a population of modules, each module of the population of modules configured to perform a different one of the multiple steps on the lithium containing secondary battery connected to the connector; 
 a communication interface communicatively coupled to the central controller; and 
 at least one microcontroller, the at least one microcontroller programmed to control the population of modules to perform the multiple steps of the cell formation process in response to instructions received from the central controller. 
   
     
     
         12 . The distributed cell formation system of  claim 11 , wherein the multiple steps of the cell formation process include charging the lithium containing secondary battery connected to the connector, and discharging the lithium containing secondary battery connected to the connector. 
     
     
         13 . The distributed cell formation system of  claim 11 , wherein the multiple steps of the cell formation process include diffusing lithium to the electrode active material layers of the lithium containing secondary battery connected to the connector. 
     
     
         14 . The distributed cell formation system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one microcontroller is programmed to control the population of modules to charge the lithium containing secondary battery connected to the connector, diffuse lithium to the electrode active material layers of the lithium containing secondary battery connected to the connector after the lithium containing secondary battery is charged, and discharge the lithium containing secondary battery after diffusing lithium to the electrode active material layers of the lithium containing secondary battery. 
     
     
         15 . The distributed cell formation system of  claim 11 , further comprising a housing, wherein the population of formation clusters is located in the housing, and the central controller is not located within the housing. 
     
     
         16 . The distributed cell formation system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one microcontroller includes a memory storing instructions executable by the at least one microcontroller for controlling performance of the multiple steps by the population of modules. 
     
     
         17 . The distributed cell formation system of  claim 16 , wherein the central controller is programmed by instructions stored in the memory to transmit the instructions for controlling performance of the multiple steps by the population of modules to each formation cluster using the communication interface. 
     
     
         18 . The distributed cell formation system of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions inform each formation cluster when to perform each step of the multiple steps without informing the formation cluster how to perform each step. 
     
     
         19 . The distributed cell formation system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one microcontroller comprises a population of module controllers, each module controller of the population of module controllers programmed to control a different one of the modules to perform its associated one of the multiple steps. 
     
     
         20 . The distributed cell formation system of  claim 19 , wherein each module controller comprises a microcontroller.